Ever heard of "days of wine and roses?"  Fall at the Kluge Estate Farm Shop is more about days of wine and cheese!  This month, visit the Farm Shop to sample Kluge Estate's New World Red 2004, a round and silky Bordeaux-style blend that exhibits well-balanced fruit.  One of the great things about this wine is that it pairs very well with cheeses.  The Farm Shop, in addition to being Kluge Estate's wine tasting room and sales center, also offers a glorious selection of artisanal cheeses.  We suggest trying New World Red with Idiazabel, a semi-firm Spanish sheep's milk cheese.  During production the cheese wheel is lightly smoked, imparting a slightly smoky quality that adds wonderfully to the rich nutty flavor.  New World Red and Idiazabel come together for a rich, flavor explosion!

This month, we suggest wine and cheese lovers alike embark on trying different pairings to come up with their own favorite matches.  The Farm Shop staff is on hand to help with the fun and delicious task.  With nine wines and dozens of cheeses from around the world, there is plenty of fun to be had.   

 

 

3550 Blenheim Road

Charlottesville, VA 

(434) 984-4855

 

 

 

I recently sat down with Michael Matthews of Vino Curioso, a new and exciting winery that I have seen at a number of Virginia tasting events over the past year. For those who have been curious, like myself, about Vino Curioso, read on and enjoy this wonderful interview I had with him.

 

 

Dezel: Was there one special bottle that initially got you into wine? If so, what was this serendipitous find?

Michael Matthews: There wasn't really one special bottle - more like a number of them. There are quality wines everywhere in the world and I have been fortunate enough to travel a good bit to experience wines from a great number of places. I lived in the UK for a number of years and was exposed to many of the great wines of Europe that you might not be able to experience here without spending a great deal of money. I also spent considerable time in Italy traveling for work and that brought exposure not only to Italian wines, but to wines from Eastern Europe that I am quite sure that you would never get to see here except for a couple of rare import wine shops.

Dezel: Tell us a little bit about Vino Curioso; I first saw you guys at a Virginia wine festival last year and there was a lot of buzz around your tent. The large question mark logo and catchy wine titles like Franc the Tank (Cabernet Franc) really played well to the crowd. What more is there to Vino Curioso? My readers, as well as myself, are curious to discover more about you guys.

Michael Matthews: Well, I met my winemaking partner on the golf course. We had been brought together by a mutual friend to play golf. It was the day that Hurricane Isabelle hit Northern Virginia about five years ago, hence, Isabelle's Revenge. The hurricane came blowing through and we were forced to leave the golf course. We ended up talking about wine making as Mike had been making wine for some time and I had just planted a vineyard. A few days later, we were in my basement stomping grapes with our feet creating what would be the first Vino Curioso. That's how it all started. Other than that, we're just a couple of normal guys who truly enjoy creating things. Making wine can be a tremendous challenge. Actually, it's downright difficult. We don't take anything for granted. We try to make something that we would like to drink ourselves and then we submit it to the masses to see if it wins approval. Believe me, not everything we have created has been submitted to the masses (smile). By the same token, when we do get it right, it feels pretty cool to have won a small battle with the forces of Mother Nature and chemistry. We both still have hectic full-time jobs and this "hobby on steroids" provides a great distraction from the everyday wear and tear of working for a living.  

 

 

 
 

 

Our information comes from many sources, so we strongly suggest that you check websites or call wineries for costs and details.  Space limitation prevents listing all the winery and vineyard events that take place this month; for additional information, please refer to www.virginiawines.org/events/october08.html.

October 3 & 17:  Crush Monkey Fridays
Winery at LaGrange, Haymarket
Hands-on winemaking experience.  Participate in the process from beginning to end under guidance of the winemakers.  Advance registration.
(703) 753-9360
www.wineryatlagrange.com

October 3-5:  Mount Vernon Fall Wine Festival
Mount Vernon, 3300 Mt. Vernon Hwy
Samplings of Virginia wine (17 wineries) and live music.
Visit rarely-open basement cellar where Washington stored his wine.
(703) 780-2000
www.mountvernon.org

October 4:  8th Annual Norton Wine and Bluegrass Festival
Chrysalis Vineyards, Middleburg
The hottest festival of the year includes bluegrass pickings of Jackass Flats, Hickory Ridge, Lisa Kay Howard, and Flint Hollow; craft and food vendors, hay rides, vineyard tours, a special 9-wine tasting.
(540) 687-8222
www.chrysaliswine.com

October 4:  Annual Art in the Vineyard Festival
White Hall Vineyards, Crozet
Local artisans on display, taste award winning wines and tour state-of-the-art winery.
(434) 823-8615
www.whitehallvineyards.com

October 4:  McLean Medieval Festival
Rogers Ford Winery, McLean
Wine Tastings along with ancient art exhibition, Shakespeare play, traditional music and dancing and entertainment. Come in costume or come as you are.
(703) 504-8733
www.sjicc.com

October 4:  Yorktown Wine Festival - The Best of Virginia
Yorktown Riverwalk Landing
Showcasing some of Virginia's finest wines.  Later enjoy dinner with your favorite winery.
(757) 877-2933
www.VillageEvents.org

October 4:  Harvest Festival
Cross Keys Vineyards, Mt. Crawford
Music by local artists, regional artists creating and selling art in the courtyard and vineyards, tasting and touring. 
(540) 234-0505
www.crosskeysvineyards.com

October 4:  Wine & Moon Beams
Hickory Hill Vineyards & Winery
A setting perfect for moon, planet and star-gazing directed by astronomer Jim Shauberger.  Bring a picnic, blankets, chairs and binoculars.
(540) 296-1393
www.hickoryhillvineyards.com

 
October 4-5:  Fredericksburg Area Wine Festival
Old Mill Park, Fredericksburg
Wine Tasting with Virginia's finest wineries.  Food, crafts and entertainment.
(866) 339-9463
www.fredericksburgwine.com

October 4-5:  Fall Foliage Celebration 
Oakencroft Winery, Charlottesville
Tasty snacks and delicious soup, tours and tastings.
(434) 296-4188
www.oakencroft.com

October 7:  Wine & the Arts
Cross Keys Vineyards, Mt. Crawford
Experience the beauty of wine as represented in the arts.  Lecture takes participants on cultural journey to "un-mask" the muse of the grape.
(540) 234-0505
www.crosskeysvineyards.com

October 11: Fall Harvest Festival
Foggy Ridge Cider, Dugspur
Sample Cox's Orange Pippin, Ashmead's Kernel, Roxbury Russett and other heirloom apples at this fall harvest festival.
(276) 398-2337
www.foggyridgecider.com

October 11:  Black Dog Wine and Beach Festival
Chateau Morrisette, Floyd
Crafts, artisans and vendors, a wine 101 class, live music including the Key West Band and The Catalinas.
(540) 593-2865
www.chateaumorrisette.com

October 11:  Fall Wine Oktoberfest
AmRhein Wine Cellar, Bent Mountain
Live entertainment, German cuisine, traditional barrel rolling contest and children's activities.
(540) 929-4632
www.amrheinwine.com

 

October 11 -12: 18th Annual Wine and Garlic Festival (VWL WILL BE THERE!)
Rebec Vineyards, Amherst
Mingle with old friends and meet new ones. Drink wine and eat delicious, garlicky foods. Live music, unique arts and crafts, specialty foods, and stinky GARLIC!
(434) 946-5168
www.rebecwinery.com

October 11:  River City Wine Festival
Constitution Park Pavilion, Waynesboro
A beautiful evening along the shore of the South River.  Live Jazz, wine tastings, and gourmet food vendors.
(540) 942-6705
www.waynesborodowntown.org

 

October 17-19:  Shenandoah Valley Hot Air Balloon & Wine Festival

(VWL WILL BE THERE!)

Historic Long Branch, Millwood
Fun-filled, action-packed, three-day family celebration.  Wine tastings, arts  and crafts vendors, balloon rides & more!
(540) 837-1856
www.historiclongbranch.com/balloonfest

October 18-19:  Loudoun County Farm Color Tour
Loudoun Valley Vineyards, Leesburg
See spectacular golden scenery, buy fall produce, see farm animals, tour wineries, take hayrides, go through a corn maze, and much more. This is a self-guided driving tour.
(703) 777-0426
www.LoudounFarms.org

 
October 18-19:  9th Annual Wine Festival
Unicorn Winery, Amissville
Wine tastings, crafts and food from Tim's Rivershore Restaurant and crafts.
(540) 439-5885
www.unicornwinery.com

October 18:  Northern Piedmont Harvest Celebration
Philip Carter Winery of Virginia, Hume
Fun-filled day for the entire family and your pet.  Activities include a Falconry demo, pony rides, carriage rides, food and music.
(540) 364-1203
www.pcwinery.com

 

October 18-19:  Annual Town Point Wine Festival (VWL WILL BE THERE!)
Town Point Park, Norfolk
Thirty+ wineries along with gourmet foods, live entertainment and specialty crafts.
(757) 442-2345
www.festeventsva.org

October 25:  Harvest Festival
Doukenie Winery, Hillsboro
Celebrate the completion of the harvest and enjoy live music and barbeque.
(540) 668-6464
www.doukeniewinery.com

 

October 25:  Pick of the Piedmont Wine Festival (VWL WILL BE THERE!)
Booster Park, Orange
Wine, food & live music.
(540) 672-5216
www.visitorangevirginia.com

October 25-26:  Halloween Celebration Weekend
Winery at LaGrange, Haymarket
Come in your creepiest costume and join in the fun.  Candy for the kids and surprises around every turn.
(703) 753-9360
www.wineryatlagrange.com

October 28:  Wine & Cheese
Cross Keys Vineyards, Mt. Crawford
Learn about the classic pairing of wine and cheese.  Includes tasting of four wines and four cheeses.
(540) 234-0505
www.crosskeysvineyards.com

October 31:  Monster Mash Friday
James River Cellars, Glen Allen
Join in a Howling Good Night for 2nd annual Patio Costume Party.  Live music, dancing, costume contest and special wine tasting.
(804) 550-7516
www.jamesrivercellars.com